tips on working off a tummy? - ThinnerTimes

brittany · 01-05-2007, 06:19 PM

I have lost quite a bit of weight I am really short! My face, arms, legs, hips, but, ect. looks good but my tummy won't go away! I started walking and now I jog, I can do 45 sit-ups at a time so I do like 6-10 sets of sit ups... anyone else have trouble like this and know how to get rid of it?

Gina in NY · 01-05-2007, 08:26 PM

I am short too and do have lots of extra skin in my tummy area, but I have great abdominal defenition anyway, so after my PS, I should look great.

Here is what I do:
I do abs every day and choose 6 - 8 sets of 20 each from these listed. Wait only 10-15 seconds between sets. Make sure that you really suck in your gut and keep those abs tight as you crunch or you can build muscles that push out and make your tummy stick out more, even if it is hard. This is what my husband was doing. Made him look pregnant...Oy.

You have to remember that there are four areas of your abs you want to train, so doing only one kind of exercise will only train part of your abs.
You have lower abs, obliques (side) and upper abs. They have real names too, but I forget them.

For lower abs, do you have access to a roman chair? It is this chair with handles, but without a seat and you sort of hang there and pull up your legs by bending your knees. Do this alone or with a small medicine ball between your feet. Next set, bring lets straight up in front of you and lower slowly. I find these much harder. Without the chair, do "reverse crunches." On the floor, on your back, legs bent at the knee, upper legs parallel to floor. lower legs toward floor and really squeeze those lower abs, raise legs slowly - lower abs are the hardest ones.

I don't do sit ups at all myself. I just crunch in many ways.
Side Obliques, you can put your feet up on a ball, put them at 90 degrees with your feet crossed, keep them flat on the floor or switch your legs each side. Keep one shoulder blade on the ground, and bring your opposite elbow to the opposite side. Switch sides.

You can also reach your hands past your legs on either side for variety. I find that hard on my neck though.

Upper abs - easiest - feet on floor with toes up, keep lower back flat and reach your chin toward ceiling, bringing shoulder blades off the floor. Again - tight tight tight is the key. Same motion with feet on stability ball, feet just crossed at 90 degrees or legs vertical. You can also do this with bringing your knees in toward your face. You can use a stability ball for this too.

Does that help? I am ab obsessed so I really could write even more, just ask for any details you need. Could also help to get a trainer to show you all these - that is what I did.

Last, you can work your abs to death and they are fine. You can suck in your gut while you're walking, doing other exercise etc. Just keep them tight, you know? And measure before you change your routine - you may find there is a difference after only a month or so.

Good luck!

Good luck!